An Undeniable Bond
by puppypants
Summary: Tony and Tim come to realize how strong their friendship is when their lives are threatened. Not a slash. Violence warning.
1. Chapter 1

An Undeniable Bond

"Can you believe this? Friday night and we're stuck here in the middle of Rock Creek Park when we could be home with our significant others on the couch or...you know, elsewhere...in the house-"  
McGee turned from the crime scene, glaring at Tony while holding up his hand,"Stop right there, Tony. No further details are necessary. I get it." He waited to make sure his fellow team member had completed his train of thought without adding any more provocative comments before he resumed his work.  
"I know, I agree. Jake and I were in the middle of a heated game of Pictionary, and I was winning!" Tony and Tim exchanged a smile as Bishop continued. "Hey. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it would seem we're all in serious relationships right now, now that Tony has been seeing Brianna for a month." She admiringly eyed Tony. "Still going strong, congrats." Tony gave her a wink as she adjusted her cap then knelt to bag a discarded wrapper lying near a small tree.  
"At least you two get to see yours, I don't know when Delilah will be coming home to visit from Dubai." Tim peered through the viewfinder of the NCIS issued camera, snapping a series of shots of the dead petty officer lying in front of him.  
"Who says she has to come here for you two to get together? Take a vacation, Timmy and go to Dubai. As a matter of fact, surprise her!"  
Tim turned to him, sighing impatiently. He shook his head, his eyes squinting as he tried to figure out Tony's sudden enthusiasm towards his personal affairs.

"What?" Tony shrugged with exaggeration.  
"That hardly seems feasible. We can't even have a Friday night to ourselves let alone the thought of taking off a whole week."  
"No, two weeks McScuses. Me and Bri can accompany you. I was googling Dubai up the other day-"

"Oh, is that what you were so fascinated with the other day on your computer, during company time, may I add, when we were suppose to be solving cold cases?"  
"Yeah, yeah, anyways. They have this cool underwater hotel-"  
"Who have?" Asked Bishop, on her tiptoes looking over the top of a tree branch that obscured her view from the two male agents.  
"You know... Dubai-ers. The hotel is surrounded by water and fishies you can view through the glass-"  
"Fishies, Tony? Really?" Asked McGee.  
"Yeah... really. There's also an underwater zoo, but I don't really see how that can work out. I mean...I was thinking about it and what if a mischievous shark decides to make a face at a bear... in the zoo and he throws a fit then they start shadowboxing through the glass...sounds scary."  
Tim rolled his eyes as a smile broke through his rough demeanor. "By underwater zoo, they mean it's filled with sea creatures, Tony. Besides, who says bears and sharks don't get along?"  
Bishop smiled to herself as she witnessed, once again the keen way Tony lured Tim into, yet another one of his absurd conversations.

"They're so different-" Commented Tony. "One's really hairy-"  
"Well, that doesn't mean anything." Commented Ellie.

Tim chuckled, causing Ellie to smile. "It does actually sound like fun. But, the only way I'd let you come with me is if you pinkie-promise to eliminate movie references from the entire trip. I know Jaws would come up, way too much." Tim knelt to get a closeup of the officer.

Tony answered Tim's back, hearing the distinct sound of the camera's shutter clicking multiple shots. "I can't make a promise like that Tim-"  
The quiet banter was interrupted by a gunshot that cut through the quiet of the park, alerting Tim and Ellie's attention toward Tony, just in time to see him drop, motionless onto his back.

"No! Tony!" Tim was by his side, instantly as Ellie, cautiously joined him drawing her weapon. Tony lay still, his eyes open, staring blankly towards the evening's starlit sky. "Tony! Answer me!" Tim's hands searched his partner's chest, looking and feeling for any visible gunshot wound. "I don't understand, I can't see where the wound is, Ellie!"

Ellie scanned the area then quickly looked over Tim's shoulder, "Tim we have to take cover!" Tim pulled Tony into his arms, dragging him to a boulder close by. "Did you see where the shot came from?"

"No, I only heard it." Ellie crouched, running beside Tim, as she scoured the park.

Tim managed to half carry Tony to cover, as he constantly consoled him, quietly, "It's okay, Tony. Ducky should be here any minute. You'll be okay." He laid him down then cradled his head, looking into his eyes for any signs of life. Ellie momentarily studied Tim in awe, she had no idea Tim would react quite this strongly, and emotionally, pleading like a younger brother might, while showing no inhibitions for his deep concern towards his fallen friend while comforting him with positive affirmations. Since she had joined their team she had watched them bicker and tease each other relentlessly, but that had obviously just been a cover for the love they shared for each other. Ellie did her best to hold it together, feeling a sharp sting behind her eyes while not wanting to comment on the fact that their senior agent looked void of life, his blank, silent stare so unsettling from his usual talkative and energetic manner. Tim felt for a pulse, looking at Ellie with horror in his face, immediately beginning chest compressions. Ellie aimed her weapon when a group of men descended upon them, their automatic weapons pointed in the direction of their chests.

"Tim, we have company-"  
Tim refused to take a moment to glimpse towards the men. "I can't stop or he'll die!"

"Stand up!"

They were outnumbered by three, so Ellie dropped her weapon. "Tim." She calmly attempted to coax him away from their fallen comrade. "Gibbs will be here soon,you have to get up."

"I have...to save...him!" She looked over the men, knowing they would not wait so she leaned down, wrapping her arms around his chest to pull him away. He resisted,"No! Let me go, Ellie!"

"Please, he would not want you to sacrifice you life for his." She talked firmly in his ear.

Two of the assailants advanced and yanked Tim from her grasp, pulling him to his feet. "Dammit! Get your hands off me, now!"  
Ellie could hear a strain in his voice as he struggled against their hold. A tear ran down her face when one of the men hit Tim over the head with his gun, sending Tim to the ground, unconscious. She easily complied as they restrained her wrists with zip ties then doing the same to Tim. She kept her eyes on Tony, praying for a sign that he was okay and Tim's efforts had been sufficient to revive him. She managed to glance at him one last time just before they loaded her and Tim's lifeless body along with the dead petty officer into a van then left the scene without any of the remaining MCRT team arriving in time to witness any of the incident.

Tony lay there still and alone on the cold ground of the park, a tear running down his cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs knew something was wrong as soon as Ducky pulled into the park. The sedan was there but he did not see his team. He spotted one still form in the headlights but the light of the beams were too strong for him to make out if it was the dead body they were assigned to process or someone entirely different. He jumped from the moving van just before Ducky came to a complete stop.

"Jethro, must you always be in such a blasted hurry?! I am developing an ulcer just by witnessing your continuous frantic behavior on a daily basis-"

Gibbs ignored his annoyance as he practically ran to the figure on the cold ground recognizing his field agent. "Tony? What the hell? Tony! Talk to me." Gibbs directed his voice towards the medical van. "Duck! We need your medical bag!"

"Oh, my, goodness gracious, this is disconcerting, to say the least." Ducky quickened his actions, climbing out of the van with the medical bag in hand.

"Where's McGee and Bishop, Tony? Dammit. You can't hear me, can you? What's wrong, speak to me,Tony." He knew Tim and Ellie would not leave Tony like this, thinking they must have been abducted, also for the car to still be here. Gibbs wanted to ignore Tony's pallor complexion but couldn't as he pressed a shaky finger to his stone-cold neck, feeling for a pulse. He sighed a breathe of relief when he felt his pulse rate strong but, erratic. He ran his hands over Tony's torso unable to detect any signs of blood. "Come on,Tony, give me a clue. I don't know what I can do to help you." His breathing was heavy, his eyes were opened but unfocused and directed towards the sky; blankly searching. He seemed agitated as if stuck in a nightmare. Gibbs patted his face as Ducky joined him on the ground, awkwardly managing to kneel beside him.

"Was he shot Jethro?"  
"Not from what I can see Duck. His pulse is all wacky, but I can't for the life of me, figure out the problem-"  
"Well, hello,hello, what do we have here? I believe I have found the culprit." Ducky picked up a small dart that was resting in the palm of Tony's hand. "It would seem that he was shot with a tranquilizer gun, most likely filled with a paralytic agent causing paralysis of the effected skeletal muscles. What he needs, right now is a quick trip to the ER and to be quickly administered with a counteractive drug-"  
"But...Duck," Tony seemed to slowly relax,his breathing regulating; slow and even. Gibbs and Ducky held their breathes, letting Tony settle, as he seemed determined to speak, "Duck, I'm...okay, I'm starting...to feel..better...I think. I can...move my hands." He lifted them to look at them, gaining confidence with the vast improvement of his physical mobility.

Gibbs sighed, falling back on his haunches with a sigh of relief as he cracked a smile."Like hell, you are. You look like shit. What the hell happened?"

Tony turned to face him, the color returning to his complexion. They shared a smile, both grateful for the imparting outlook of his prognosis.  
"We were processing the scene...I heard a shot..it was weird sounding, like a sharp crack of... air. Then I felt a quick, sharp jab in my side, so I swiped at it and...I pulled it out, but my body seemed to freeze. I fell back. That's where it gets ...foggy. I couldn't move...everything was going all hinky and my body felt like it was going... haywire, Tim was bending over me...he was...really upset. I wanted to reassure him ...calm him down but I couldn't move. I was afraid he was going to get shot, too. My chest felt really tight-"

"He was more than likely overdosed with the drug, Jethro or the area the dart entered may have developed complications, but I am using pure speculation. We will learn more once he is examined by the doctors."

"We were in the open, so he dragged me to safety-" Gibbs glanced to his left, making out some drag marks, close by in the grass, "Tim started CPR and I started feeling like I was returning to normal, but then a group of men, big...men, I don't know how many...they... hit Tim over the head, really hard and he fell but I couldn't see how bad he was. They zip tied his wrists then took him away. I couldn't see what happened to Bishop."

Tony made eye contact with Gibbs and the senior agent couldn't deny the anguish he saw in Tony's eyes. He leaned over to rub his shoulder, "It's okay, Tony. We'll get them back. Did you find anything pertinent to the case that may explain the reason for their abduction and shooting you?"

"Uh, maybe, I... bagged a key the officer was holding." Tony sluggishly moved his head, as he fumbled in his side pockets searching, but moving with difficulty. Gibbs could tell he was still very weak. He searched Tony's pockets revealing an evidence bag.

"It's all right. All I want from you right now is to let Ducky take charge and get you right to the hospital-"  
"But-"  
Gibbs gave him a glare that stopped any further negotiations. They both knew he was in no way, shape or form to protest. "I know what you're thinking, and I got this right now. Don't worry about anything, but taking care of yourself."

"All right." Tony subtly nodded. Ducky began to strap him to the gurney, preparing him for the trip. "Gees, Duck. I feel like one of your corpses...I'm afraid I'm not too entertaining this evening. No jokes come to mind at the moment-"  
"Oh, my dear boy, any conversation you care to engage in, is one hundred percent more enlightening than the usual subject my regular guests suggest."  
"Thanks, Ducky, I'll take that as a compliment."  
Duck, stopped his actions to grin at him warmly."I assure you, Anthony, you'll be back to your ol' self in no time."  
Tony closed his eyes, then breathed deeply, "I hope so Duck. Because there's a lot of work that needs to be done." Ducky frowned then continued with his care for the man.

Gibbs eyed the fingerprint scanning doo-hickey thingy on the ground, not too far away and his heart sank. McGee had always treated that gadget like gold; it would had never been left behind unless something dire had happened to his agent. He knew the odds of getting them back alive were slim; Tony relayed the fact that there were multiple men being significantly large in size, at that. These were professionals that worked with night vision goggles and tranquilizer guns. Not something they had usually come across before as far as he could remember. They took Tim and Ellie, but left Tony; alive ,unless they thought the drug would have killed him. This was strange, to say the least. He watched Ducky prepare Tony for the ride, "I'll call this into Abby, give her a heads up. I'll stay back until the backup team arrives and collect more evidence and process their abduction."

"Of course, Jehtro. I just hope you will be safe until help arrives."

"I'm willing to take my chances."  
Ducky sighed,"That's what I was afraid of."

Once Tony was loaded Gibbs slammed the doors shut of the van, patting them with endearment, hoping that Tony would be okay. "Don't worry, Jethro. He is showing remarkable improvement since we initially found him. His pulse and heart rate are normal, I see no reason for concern. But, he will need rest."

Gibbs took one last look through the window of the back door noting that Tony had fallen asleep. "Thanks Duck. Take good care of him."  
"And if I may be so bold, you, my dear friend, uncover the knowledge we need to come to a quick conclusion in recovering our dear Timothy and Eleanor."

"You got it Duck." Gibbs winked. He took a moment to watch them drive away then began processing and taking pictures. He recorded the evidence of the trampled grass and drag marks that must have been when McGee dragged Tony to safety to begin the CPR. Tim more than likely saved his life, but did he know he had helped him before he was abducted? Tony claimed they hit him over the head, harshly so he was more than likely unconscious when he was taken. And what of Ellie? Gibbs held up the evidence bag containing the key to get a better look at it. It looked like a locker key, or maybe even for a safe deposit box. For all he knew it was a bike lock key. What did he know? His team usually handled those things. It was time to pay a visit to Abby, once he gathered his findings.

xxxxx

Ellie wore a blindfold, but she knew Tim's head was leaning against her shoulder. They were both seated in the back of the van, their wrists bound, while sandwiched in-between two scary, burly men...as a matter of fact, all the men were scary and burly; was it possible they were all related? She could feel the warmth of Tim's blood soaking into her jacket, causing her to wonder the extent of his injury. Would he wake up soon or was he out for the duration? And how long would they be held? These men resembled robots; cold and relentless. The van was silent, void of any form of conversation between themselves, not so much as a callous grunt.

The stench of the dead petty officer filled the small confinement of the vehicle causing her to infrequently gag. She tried to distract herself, thinking of Jake or the dog they were considering adopting from the local rescue center. She thought of Jibbers' profile page and wanted to bawl. He had been neglected by two families and all she could remember was how sad his big, blue eyes looked, or how one white-colored ear flopped to the side with a personality all of its own. Anything to keep her mind off of what lay ahead. She would focus on Jibbers.

She hadn't been with NCIS long but this took the cake for the most bizarre. The sound of the gunshot that hit Tony wasn't your typical sounding gunshot. This one hadn't rung out, with a sharp crack, but then again, it had all happened so fast, was she even remembering everything that happened correctly? And why did they leave Tony but take her and Tim? Gibbs must have been moments away, she truly believed Tony was okay, he had to be. He was knee-deep in a serious relationship as was Tim. All three of them had their lives ahead of them, it simply couldn't end like this.

She rubbed the side of her face against the top of Tim's head, worried he was not going to be okay. He answered her unspoken question with a moan and was rewarded with a sharp, violent elbow to the gut by the man next to him. The weight of his head left her shoulder as she listened to him fight to catch his breath. Within the next moment she felt him return to the only comfort he could find; her shoulder.

She touched her lips to hair. "Shhh." Her blindfold was soon soaked with tears.


	3. Chapter 3

Reference: Pictionary is a drawing game, where your opponents have to guess what you are drawing.

xxx

Tony leaned over his desk, vigorously rubbing his temples, his eyes closed to protect them from the bright lights of the bullpen. He blindly reached out, grabbing his medicine bottle, extracting two pills to dry-crunch with a moan as he talked to himself. "What I wouldn't give to get rid of this bejeebers of a headache-"  
"Hi Tony!"

Tony finished his mumbled sentence with a whine, peering up at Abby standing in front of his desk, his eyes half-closed.

"Are you okay...Gibbs told me everything...So, those guys that took Tim and Ellie are big and burly? Would you be able to create facial composites of the suspects? How bad was Tim when they took him away? I already called Delilah and she's on her way-"  
Tony held up a hand towards Abby, his eyes shut closed in pain, "Abs, Abs...Abs!" Her words seemed to run over each other and he didn't think his head could take it for much longer before it blew up, scattering brain matter all over the inside of the bullpen. Then again, the release of this incredible pressure behind his eyes just might feel good, and be worth the mess. The thought of his headache vanishing made him smile, calmly.

"I'm sorry Tony, I'm guessing your experiencing one whammer of a noggin-knockin' headache."  
"I just downed four Tylenol, they should be kicking in soon. Just one of the great side affects from being shot with a dart gun." He scraped his tongue against his top teeth with a sickened frown. "That and this awful taste I have in my mouth. It feels like something died and crawled in." She handed him an unopened water bottle. He grabbed it and chugged, as it spilled from the corners of his mouth onto random papers on his desk.

Abby winced. "Something can't die... then crawl in."

Tony raised his eyebrows, "It's that talented." He offered her the water bottle back, but she declined.  
"You'll have to give me your take on what that experience was like, you know. Some day when you're up to it."  
"I'd rather not relive it and my advise, don't have it done. As to the answers to your questions...I've had better days, big, burly and stinky, no sketch, didn't see their faces, I think Tim was unconscious, and... Yeah. I'm really glad she's coming...it'd mean a lot to Tim. He really misses her." Tony's voice had become quiet; touched by the obvious concern Delilah had for Tim. He knew Tim missed her, deeply; the best girlfriend he had ever dated since he had known the guy.

"I ran the private's social through the banking system and he has a safety deposit box at the North Virginia Savings and Trust, the one on the north end. Apply for the warrant because after Gibbs comes back from getting himself and you some coffee you can anticipate his request to go and check it out. You can probably take Dornie with you."

"Dornie...porny, pudding and pie."  
Abby gave him a confused snicker. "You sure you're good?"

"Wonderful." Tony stroked his forehead. "I'll make him drive so I can take a nap-Don't tell Gibbs I just said that!" Tony quickly glared at her.  
"Mum's the word-."

"No, mum is not the word. That word translates to 'suspicious' to Gibbs...is he behind me?" Tony looked over his shoulder, frantically.

"Calm down."

Tony did with a sigh, studying a file on his desk. "I just hope it brings us closer to Tim and Ellie's whereabouts and isn't just a big waste of time."

"Tony? Do you think..."

He didn't look up, telling from the sudden dip in Abby's tone that she was scared for Tim and Ellie. "Abs, we'll get'm back. Count on it." When she didn't say anything else, he did the best he could to reassure her, with what little strength he had, "I'm not going to make eye contact with you right now, Abs, because I don't want to see your sad eyes, because then it'll just make me sad and I might even cry. And that would only make my headache worse and it's vital that I think straight in order to find them, 'kay?" He felt a gentle pat on his back just before she left him at his desk, frowning. He knew he was overwhelmed with emotion right now, and he'd have to quickly pull himself together so Gibbs wouldn't pull him from the case. "Come on,Tony. Buck up." He affirmed himself, gently.

xxxxx

A lonely lit bulb hung from the ceiling by a cord offering enough light for Ellie to visibly stare at the opposite wall from where she sat. Her legs were outstretched in front of her with Tim's head in her lap. She hated the thought of leaving him on the hard floor with his nasty head injury and no pillow. They had been there for about thirty minutes since their arrival when they guided her, blindfolded into this little room, that was most likely a small bedroom at one point, located in a vacant, rundown house. They had, had to drag Tim in, since he couldn't walk or stand for that matter, remaining in a safe, unconscious state. The window panes were painted black and the room was empty, dirty and dingy. The walls needed painting and there were huge holes in the sheetrock. It had been wallpapered at one time, one corner had a sheet of crumbly, faded paper peeling off, that hung like rotting bark from a dead tree.

Their wrists were still zip-tied, and she guessed it had to be predawn by the orange glow peeping through light streaks of thinly applied paint, barely covering the glass. She was cold and trembling, thankful for the little bit of warmth from Tim's upper body on her thighs.

Tim hadn't moved since their arrival to the hideout, his complexion dull and gray. She frequently talked to him, hoping to gently wake him and determine the extent of his injury. Was he supposed to stay awake with a head injury or sleep? She told him about Jibbers and the funny way Jake draws when they are playing Pictionary, creating stick figures then automatically adding a hat to the little, skinny person. She confessed that she was wearing a hat when they had first met; a huge sunhat she had bought more out of protection from the sun than for style reasons, sick of getting sunburn all summer. She concluded that her husband had a hat fetish but considering all the warped fetishes he could have she was okay with it, she would even offer to introduce...well, her rationality wasn't stretched quite that thin to discuss the subject any further with an unconscious McGee.

She silently hoped Tim wouldn't subconsciously remember the silly things she had talked about. She felt that if she stopped talking for even one second she would lose her sanity, believing the ridiculous babbling kept her distracted enough to withstand the dreaded wait. She never thought something as dangerous and scary as this would ever have happened to her but she realized that was just her well-practiced gullibility guiding her through life, keeping her presumably safe over the years.

Tim groaned then his eyes popped open as he sat up quickly, swaying as she prepared to catch him if he fell back. He hunched over, his tied hands in front of his mouth.

"Tim?"

He raised his pointer finger for her to see, "Just a minute...I got a...puke on...deck." She winced as he got himself under control. "I'm good." He pressed his hands to his forehead, "Uh...Ellie?"  
She slid her back against the wall so she could look at his face. "Yeah, it's me. How ya' feelin'?"  
"Like I've been hit by a mac truck."  
"Well...You kinda were." She snorted. "Did you see the size of that guy-"  
Tim had turned his head examining her from the corner of his eye.

"Sorry, trying to keep it light."

"No, I'm sorry. It seems I ruined your jacket." Referring to her red-stained shoulder.  
Ellie shrugged blowing air through her lips, "Ah, I'll just request another when we get back to the navy yard." She answered nonchalantly.

Tim gave her a puzzled look, "You okay, Ellie? You seem a little...frazzled."  
She bit her bottom lip as tears instantly filled her eyes.

"Hey, hey there, I'm sorry. Of course you're frazzled, this is scary. But I didn't mean to set you off." He patted her knee, "They're gonna find us, wait and see. Gibbs and... Tony!" The memory of what happened to his friend hit him like a ton of bricks. He futilely searched their confines from where he sat then brought his concerned gaze to Ellie. "Did you see? Is Tony okay?"  
Ellie wiped her tears away, breathing deeply. "Uh, no...I don't know, but-"

Tim got quiet, bringing his gaze to the floor in front of him,sitting still. She didn't know what to do so placed her tied hands on his back. "Are you okay?"  
Tim silently shrugged. He looked haggard and tired and his face was scruffy with a 5 o'clock shadow. His shirt was untucked and his clothes were muddy. Dried blood covered one side of his face and he must have been suffering from one enormous headache from the hit on the head.

"You know,for what it's worth, I don't believe Tony was hit with a bullet. The sound was ..off. You, yourself didn't see any blood-"

Tim enthusiastically looked at her, with hope developing behind his searching eyes fixed on Ellie's. An earnest look of contemplation impacted his expression, his wheels turning. Ellie thought she'd see smoke floating from his ears within the next few seconds.

"Hey...you're right! Maybe it was some kind of tranquilizer gun and that was why he was all...starey."

"Uh...starey?"

"Unblinking. Uh, paralyzed, you know?" Tim stood, swayed, then rested his hands against the wall so he wouldn't fall.

"Tim? What are you doing?"

He raised his bound hands over his head then brought them down quickly in front of himself, breaking the bond of the zip-ties. "This one is for Kippers. He needs a home."  
Ellie reddened but a positive smile grew on her face as she scurried to stand next to him. "It's actually Jibbers but I'm willing to rename him. For...Kippers!" She copied his move but when her hands descended the plastic strips failed to break. "Ow! Hey. How'd you do that?"  
"I learned it on YouTube. You gotta use your hips, not your stomach to drive your elbows into for leverage, that's where you get all the power to break them."  
"Oh, like this?"  
She tried again with success. Tim patted her back with a crooked smile, "There you go." He winked. "Oh...and Jake's in luck. They make a huge assortment of hats for dogs these days." He smiled mischievously. Ellie rolled her eyes as she punched him lightly on the shoulder, her smile filled with gratitude towards his acceptance.

He looked around the barren room with a sigh, "Now, we wait...Try to bring them down when their caught off guard."


	4. Chapter 4

Tag to Silver War in this chapter

xxxxx

Tim and Ellie scrutinized every inch of their prison, finding no means of escape. They even considered crashing through the window for hopes of freedom but they both freely admitted to each other that they were each overwhelmed with an image of being showered with rapid bullet fire once the sound of splintering glass claimed their captors' attention.

Tim was hopeful when he discovered a thick, straight, steel bar used as a makeshift clothing rod in a closet. It took a while before he was able to extract it from the walls that held it in place. Once he got it out, he found it large and awkward to handle, let alone to use as a weapon but knew he was capable of doing some serious damage with it and it might be their only ticket out. "Hey, considering its long length, maybe I could take out two...maybe three guys at a time."  
"If you take out that many of those big, hairy men at once, I for one will be very impressed and forever in your debt." Said Ellie.

Tim gave her a hopeful smile.

xxx

Ellie forced her eyes open when she heard a soft snore from McGee's direction, who sat beside her, also leaning against the wall waiting for any sign of the men who captured them, to enter the room. "Tim. I'm sorry, but you have to wake up." She gently shook his shoulder.  
Tim startled, looking at her through half closed lids. "I'm...awake."

"What are they doing? We've been here forever and they don't even check on us? Do you think they have cameras set up in here and are watching us?"  
"I didn't see any." Tim rolled his neck creating popping sounds as he tried to stimulate his senses. "How you holding up?"  
"I'm a basket case... beginning to unweave."

"Good metaphor." Tim yawned.

"Could we talk to occupy our time? I don't know how much longer I can take this."  
"Sure."  
Ellie folded her arms in front of her chest, enthusiastically turning towards him. "So, Tim. Are you going to marry Delilah? And...Have you told her you loved her yet-"  
"Huh?"  
"Do you plan on having kids? Me and Jake do-

"Uh, Ellie."  
"I think you both make a great couple-"  
"Wait, Bishop. Let me start, okay?"

"I'm sorry. I'm just a real sucker for a good love story." She snorted then leaned back as her shoulders relaxed a bit, "Okay. Shoot."

"Uh, so how does Jake like the fact that you have become an NCIS agent?"  
She sighed as she brought her gaze to the ceiling, "Well...This little incident should answer that question. He was good with it, but... up till now? Not so sure."  
"Oh yeah. This probably won't go over so good. Uh, how do you like being a probie?"

"Except for all the hazing I get from you, two? I like it." She eyed him with a slight amount of contempt but quickly shrugged it off with a kind smile.  
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Boy, did Tony and Kate haze the crap out of me when I first started."  
"As bad as you do to me?"

Tim blushed, then became playfully defensive. "Hey, I've been easy on you compared to what I went through."

"Really?" Ellie gave him a skeptical glance.

"I was hazed for years! Tony was relentless and Kate, well...she sometimes teamed up with him. I suppose it was because I was younger. But, I stuck through it and am now grateful."  
"What? For the hazing?"  
"Not for that. I'm glad I learned how to stick up for myself. And you may not know this but, Tony has matured a lot over the years. He's a good guy and I'm glad we're still together...you know, got each others' backs."

"I hate that I missed so much. Ten years is a long time. You guys have been through a lot together. If it doesn't break your relationship it can make you very close. I suppose I envy that about you, two. You know each other so well."

"Yeah, I suppose we are pretty close. I sure hope he's okay."

xxxxx

"Just let me know when you're finished." The bank associate left them in the room to look over the contents of the security box issued to the dead petty officer. After inserting the key then turning it Tony opened the lid. Inside was a laptop. He removed it, gently placing it in the security briefcase, issued from NCIS, locking the case to his wrist with the handcuff.

"Looks like any other laptop. But, what do I know? That's McGee's expertise." Commented Dornie.  
Tony sighed, looking at Dornie with a frown. "Yeah, it is."

Dornie acknowledged his remorse with a long intake of breath. "Well, that's all that's in there. Let's get this back to Miss Sciuto, ASAP."  
"Yup." The weight of Tim and Ellie's disappearance was distracting Tony from any unneeded conversations. Wise cracks and jokes were scarce and his overwhelming worry was keeping his thoughts glued only to the immediate solution to Tim and Ellie's recovery.

They were buzzed out of the room then exited the bank, squinting against the strong sun. They continued towards the sedan parked in the parking lot next to the bank, only for their paths to be blocked by two big...burly guys that Tony instantly recognized. "I knew it." He whispered with hindsight.

"What? Were your suspicions correct, Tony? What's happening?" Abby babbled questions to Tony in his earwig, but he was unable to answer her, not wanting to reveal his advantage to the men confronting them.

"I advise you to come with us if you want to ever see your two agents alive again."

"Dammit." Abby cursed, having easily heard through the convenience of the earwig in Tony's ear.

Tony was more than willing to comply. "I have the laptop, and I will not unlock it from my wrist." Tony nudged his head in Dornie's direction, "Let him go and I'll gladly come with you."

One of the men referred to the other. "Did you bring the ax?"

Tony looked at his own wrist, his complexion becoming an instant shade of white.

The man, alongside the other that was asked, checked his pockets, "Uh, no. I guess I... forgot it again."  
"What is wrong with you Herb-" The big sweaty man, shook his head in disgust towards his partner then glared at Tony. "Come with us, now!"

Dornie was clueless to what Tony had planned beforehand to backup his suspicions he was feeling before leaving the navy yard, so the young agent shoved one of the burly men away from Tony, knocking him off balance, as he unholstered his weapon, "You can't just abduct an NCIS Special Agent! I'm taking you both in!"  
"Dornie! I got this. Let it go." Tony instantly wished he had given Dornie a heads up, letting him know that there could be a slight possibility this could have happened...but he really didn't think it would have happened. Dornie looked at him puzzled, then set forth his intentions, cocking his gun while aiming. "NCIS! Drop your weapons and hands up!"  
One of the men approached Dornie but Tony stepped in front of him but was brought down to the sidewalk, hard. Tony lay on the concrete, watching as the man's large, size 12, landed on the edge of his jacket, right where Abby had recently secured the tracking device. He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"What happened, Tony? We lost your signal!" Yelled Abby in his earwig.

"Yeah...Figures...Dammit." Tony spoke quietly. Before he knew it, he was hauled up by the collar of his jacket and thrown into the back of a van.

xxxxxx

FLASHBACK (An hour ago)

Tony sauntered into Abby's lab, finding her in front of her computer pecking away at her keyboard. She was in high-heeled boots that ran up the length of her calves to her knees. How she stood, all day wearing shoes like that were a complete mystery to him. "Abby?"  
"Uh, yeah Tony?"  
"Remember that case with the marine staff sergeant we had to investigate that was found buried in a casket?"  
"Yuh, huh." Abby gasped, as she slowly turned to face him. "I remember. And Tim and Ziva were confronted once they left the bank with the contents of the security box. They were threatened with guns, then the culprits took the items of the safety box from them they were sent to retrieve."

"Do you think that sounds a little familiar?" Tony saw a light in Abby's eyes grow brighter. "I for one wonder if that was why I wasn't abducted along with Tim and Ellie and that's why they-"

"Left you the key! What should we do? Did you tell Gibbs?"

Tony shook is head,"Well, how I see it, I can go to the bank prepared, just in case they do show up. If you give me some kind of tracking device that can lead us right to Mcgee and Ellie, that would be a great outcome to a simple hunch...if that was to actually occur. I could locate them, Gibbs could come and take down, burly, sweaty stinky guys and we could get our little Timmy and Ellie back. What could go wrong?"

Tony looked at Abby with a smugness that even made Abby grow leery. "Of course, something could go wrong, Tony. God is not a fan of haughty attitudes. You might want to adjust the smugness in your approach to your plan. You're just asking for trouble." Tony rolled his eyes turning away with a grin.

END OF FLASHBACK

xxxxxx

"Abby! I came right here from the airport! Have you heard anything on Tim yet?" Delilah rolled her suitcase into Abby's lab then darted over to her.  
Abby turned from her computer to find a frayed Delilah; no make-up, wearing a wrinkled pair of jeans and a solid, white t-shirt. Her hair did not looked combed, but was tied up in a folded ponytail. Her eyes were red and puffy.

Tears stung the back of Abby's eyes as she tried to muster a strong face for Tim's long-distance girlfriend. She grasped Delilah's upper arms, warmly then they hugged. "I wish I could tell you something. I'm so sorry."

Delilah brought a crumpled tissue to her nose.

"But things are happening, Tony is investigating a clue from the crime scene; a key that belongs to a safety deposit box. He got the idea to wear an earwig and a tracking device because...of a hunch he had. Believe me, it's a long story, But anyways, unfortunately it seems that Tony was just abducted by the supposed men who kidnapped Tim and Ellie."  
Delilah could hear the sounds of shuffling and yells over the speaker of Abby's computer. "Oh no! That's terrible!"

"I know, but this is what he was hoping for so we could locate them. I hope nothing happens to Tony in the process. It's all unraveling now. I have to let Gibbs know. He is not going to be happy about this."  
"Why?"  
"We kind of went behind his back. Tony had a hunch he might be approached by these men but really wasn't sure. He was willing to be taken so he could locate Tim and Ellie wearing a tracking device securely hidden in his jacket. But, for some reason the connection has just been severed. I don't know what happened but I can still hear him. If he could tell me some kind of clues on how he gets there that would help us recover Tim and Ellie, well...and himself."  
Delilah's eyes filled with tears, "That was so brave of Tony to do."  
Abby placed a firm hand on Delilah's shoulder. "He is willing to do whatever it takes to get them back. Believe me, Tony loves Tim... like a little brother."

"Thank God, he does." Delilah smiled as tears streamed down her face.

xxxxxx

Voices and footsteps had Tim and Ellie scurrying to opposite sides of the door when they heard the men approaching. Tim had the steel rod in his hands, ready to inflict a large amount of great pain to the first person to enter the room. They both kept each others' gaze as they heard the distinct sound of a key in the doorknob. Tim continually twisted his grip on the rod, nervously nodding to Ellie to assure her he was prepared for their entry. The door opened and Tim waited to see a body cross the threshold, before his arms swung back ready to swing. Two men entered, the first hit squarely in the nose, with the thick steel, crying out in excruciating pain as the second man ducked, missing the strike.

Tim realized Tony was the other man. "Tony!"  
Tony's eyes greeted Tim's, wide open in shock, as they both brought their attention to the man holding his nose, screaming, blood pouring from his clasped hands as he swayed on unsteady feet. "You're gonna die for that!"


End file.
